Boy Next Door
by aussiebabe290
Summary: Beca Mitchell thought that moving to Barden, Georgia to live with her father, stepmonser and perfect stepsister Aubrey Posen would be hell on earth. But when the new neighbours moved in, she decided that Barden mightn't be so bad after all. Because the nerd next door definitely made life more interesting.
1. Chapter 1

"Beca!"

Beca Mitchell squeezed her eyes shut, burying further down in the blankets.

"Beca!"

There were three things that Beca hated, more than anything.

Waking up before noon.

School.

And the screech of Aubrey Posen.

So, being woken up at six forty five a.m on a Monday morning to the screech of Aubrey Posen, for school, was about as bad as it could get. Groaning, she stuck her head under her mountain of pillows, willing the obnoxious noise to stop.

"Rebeca!"

Aubrey pushed open the door, making Beca wince at both the slam and the use of her full name.

"If you aren't out of bed in the next ten seconds, so help me God, I will leave without you. I am not being late on my first day as a senior".

Beca braced herself for the worst, as the door slammed again.

"I hate Mondays".

"Beca, up!" her father knocked on the door in passing and she let out a frustrated scream, throwing back her blankets.

She didn't know what was worse. Living with her father and stepmonster Sheila in Georgia, or living in Maine with her mother, stepfather and menagerie of stepbrothers.

At that moment, Barden Georgia was a clear winner.

After throwing on her usual outfit of skinny jeans and a singlet, a flannelette shirt thrown on top, she made her way downstairs.

"Is that much eyeliner necessary?" Aubrey wanted to know, as Beca entered the kitchen.

She rolled her eyes. "Good morning Aubrey".

"Hurry up; we've got to pick up Chloe on the way to school".

"Good morning Beca", Sheila said pleasantly, and Hailey grinned up at her big sister adoringly.

"Bec! Sit next to me!" the four year old said brightly. Beca smiled down at her half-sister.

"Alright", she agreed, tweaking her perfect ponytail. "Hey, who did your hair?"

"Bree", Henry, Hailey's twin, informed her.

"Of course she did". Beca took a sip of juice, and Aubrey eyed her warily. "What other four year old has a ponytail that perfect?"

(Hailey was a mirror image of Aubrey, with Beca's personality, whereas Henry took after Beca's looks.)

"Beca, are you almost ready?" Aubrey said impatiently.

"We don't need to leave for another half an hour, God, just chill!"

"I am not being late on my first day of my senior year", Aubrey informed her. "Mum, could you tell her?"

"Girls", William Mitchell interrupted. "Neither of you are going to be late- although Sheila, we need to get going. Henry, where are your shoes?"

"I dunno". Henry shrugged, and the man pointed.

"Go and find them. Hailey, are you ready?"

"Yep". She nodded enthusiastically.

"Good. Aubrey, your lunch is on the bench. Beca, what are you doing for lunch?" he had all but given up on his eldest daughter's meal habits, because Beca was determined to contradict everything he said.

Beca contemplated her options for a moment, before reaching for the jar of peanut butter. "I'll make a sandwich".

"Hurry up!" Aubrey said sharply.

"Bye Aubrey sweetheart. Bye, Beca darling. Have a good first day!" Sheila breezed past, holding both her bag and the twins' multi-coloured, cartoon character backpacks.

"Good luck, Bec". Will kissed her cheek, before bidding Aubrey farewell. "Have fun, Aubrey".

"Bye Dad, bye Sheila".

"Bye Will, bye Mum".

"Bye!" Hailey and Henry screamed excitedly.

(As far as Beca was concerned, they were the only good thing to come out of her father's second marriage.)

As Beca climbed into the backseat of her stepsister's car (knowing if she sat shotgun Aubrey would only tell her to move to make room for Chloe Beale, her best friend), she mused on how different life wold be, had her father allowed her to stay in Maine. Where she had friends and liked her school and actually knew people. Not where she was seen as the weird stepsister of perfect Aubrey Posen.

But her father had insisted that she move to Georgia- after spending no more than two consecutive weeks with him since the divorce when she was nine- for school. He thought that Barden High School would be great for his snarky, sarcastic, withdrawn teenager. And to her disgust, her mother didn't argue.)

"It might be good for you, sweetheart", she had said, and that was the closest to tears that Beca had gotten.

"But I like Maine! I have friends here! What am I supposed to do, just move my entire life to Georgia?"

(She had to move her entire life to Georgia.)

So, farewelling her mother, stepfather, three obnoxiously older stepbrothers she only pretended to hate (although Adam was only three days older, and let her know it) and adorable little half-sister Courtney (the three year old had cried and said 'stay here please Beca!'), she had hopped on a plane to fly to Barden, Georgia. She'd then proceeded to catch a taxi to her father's house (because she was not playing happy families), where she unloaded her mixing equipment into her room, spending the rest of the summer holed up.

"Hey Beca!" Chloe Beale, the overly perky redheaded best friend of Aubrey, said brightly. "Are you ready for school?"

"No". Beca shook her head, staring out the window and Aubrey frowned.

"Beca", she said, saccharine sweetly. "You are not ruining my senior year for me. Be nice to Chloe".

"I won't ruin anything", she said sharply. "You go about your business being the perfect blonde daughter and I'll go about mine. Look, you're acting like I want to be here, and trust me. I don't".

Chloe was quiet for a moment, observing the stepsisters' moods, before piping up with a story about Tom, the latest boy of interest.

(Chloe spent an awful lot of time in the Mitchell house, and even with her huge noise cancelling headphones, Beca heard their squeals.)

(If Beca had to spend her year riding to and from school with Aubrey, she would surely go insane.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for your response to this story, wow! **  
**For everyone who was wondering, Beca is a freshman while Aubrey is a senior- like the movie, only set in high school.  
While this story is written (all in notebooks with only 2 chapters to go, which I will finish over the Christmas/New Year break) this is likely to be my last update for the year as I am headed on holidays until January 4th. I'll try my hardest but I might not have internet connection to update. But please enjoy, have a happy and safe Christmas (I hope Santa brings you everything you wish) and I'll see you in 2014! Best wishes,  
aussiebabe290 :) x**

* * *

She survived Monday.

And she survived Tuesday.

By Wednesday, she even thought she'd made some acquaintances. Stacie Conrad, the sluttiest freshman Barden had ever seen, Fat Amy ("so twig bitches like you don't call me that behind my back", she had explained), the Australian girl with no filter, Lily Onakuramara, the Asian who didn't talk and Cynthia Rose (who Fat Amy was sure had a crush on Stacie).

By Thursday, Beca had decided that if she had to spend her freshman year (because she was plotting her return to Portland) at Barden, perhaps these girls wouldn't be such bad company.

But by Friday, she had her father and Aubrey harping on about how she needed to become more involved.

It started in the car to their 'end of the first week of school dinner'.

(Apparently everything had to be celebrated. Apparently Will Mitchell had become a family man after abandoning his nine year old daughter.)

"Have you joined any clubs yet, Bec?" Will said conversationally, as he reversed the car out of the driveway.

"No", Beca said simply, shrugging.

"I think she should join the Bellas", Aubrey said immediately, turning beside her to see the brunette frown. "Don't give me that look, I bet you'd love it".

"Yeah, I have no interest in your organised nerd singing". Beca shook her head.

The love of Aubrey's life was the aca pella group she had been singing in since she was a freshman. The Barden Bellas- the all-female group on campus- sang covers of female chart toppers, without backup music. And as seniors, Aubrey and Chloe were co-captains, trying to redeem their title in their final year.

(Because, much to Beca's sick amusement, Aubrey had gotten too stressed over her solo the year before and projectile vomited over the first three rows of the audience. She had laughed for a solid forty minutes as she watched the video, almost making herself sick.)

"Come on Beca, I bet you'd enjoy it", her father tried. "You'd have a great time!"

"I think you'd enjoy it", Sheila tried.

"It's not going to happen", Beca said firmly. "So you can all just drop it".

Aubrey crossed her arms across her chest, glaring at the tiny brunette.

"I'm gonna be a Bella", Hailey said cheerfully from her car seat. "Aren't I, Bree?"

"You are", Aubrey said sweetly, smiling at the little girl. "And what about you, Henry?"

Henry spun around in his seat, outrage written on his face. "I'm a boy!" he protested. "I'm gonna be Treblemaker".

"More like troublemaker", Sheila teased, making Hailey giggle.

"Hey!" he protested, laughing. "I'm not trouble!"

Beca breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that the topic had successfully been dropped.

But Aubrey started again before they had even ordered drinks.

"Why won't you be a Bella?"

"I'm sure you can harass many more girls, why does it have to be me? Why can't you victimise someone else?"

"Victimise?" Aubrey bristled. "Excuse me-"

"Girls!" Sheila interrupted. "Beca, sweetie, just consider it. Aubrey, honey, give Beca a chance to think about it".

(Aubrey would never let it go, she had been harassing Beca about becoming a Bella since she realised that the brunette was moving to Barden.)

"Just think about it", Aubrey almost pleaded.

"Fine. I'll think about it". Beca frowned at her.

(She wasn't going to be a Barden Bella. Nothing that Aubrey or Chloe said to her would change her mind.)

By the time their dinner had arrived, Aubrey had blabbered on in detail about her first week as a senior, and Hailey and Henry had told everyone about their days at preschool.

"Beca?" Will said. "How do you like Barden so far?"

(Apparently that was the question of choice when speaking to the brunette.)

"It's okay", she shrugged, after swallowing.

"Just okay?"

"I don't know, Dad, I've only been here a week". She bit back, the attitude on her tongue, knowing the whining she'd receive if Hailey and Henry picked up on her insults.

(It made it hard, because some of Beca's favourite phrases were curses.)

"Have you made any friends?" he continued.

"Yep".

"Who?" Sheila said in interest, and Beca sighed.

"Stacie".

"The town whore?" Aubrey said in surprise.

(In the three days since Beca had met her, she had squired the skill of blocking out the majority of Stacie's stories, to avoid mental scarring.)

"Aubrey!" Sheila reprimanded.

"Sorry".

"Just Stacie?" her father prompted.

"Fat Amy and Lily and Cynthia Rose. Four friends, all girls. Happy?"

Will sighed, because once Beca got defensive, her walls went up and she essentially shut out the world. "That's good, Bec. I'm happy for you".

"Bree?" Henry said absently.

"Yeah, buddy?" she turned to the little boy, a genuine smile on her face.

"Is Michael coming over tomorrow?"

"He is, Michael and I are going out tomorrow afternoon".

"If Michael comes over, will he play trains?"

"I think he will", Aubrey said easily.

(Michael Cooke, Aubrey's boyfriend of two and a half years, got on with Hailey and Henry better than Beca and Aubrey on most days. And the four year old twins adored him.)

* * *

"Beca?"

If Beca didn't have a reason for getting out of bed on the weekend, she would sleep well into the afternoon.

A four year old, inches away from her face, at eight a.m on a Saturday threw a spanner in the works.

Opening her eyes, she found herself looking into Hailey's blue eyes. Letting out a shriek, she jumped, sending Hailey tumbling to the floor.

"Oh my God!" Beca scrambled to sit up, leaning down to haul Hailey back onto the bed (before she started hollering, alerting everyone of her fall). "Oh my God, are you okay?"

Hailey giggled, seeming unfazed.

(Hailey definitely took after Beca, because the four year old was just as clumsy as the teenager.)

"Guess what?"

"You're trying to kill me?" she guessed.

"No! Daddy made pancakes".

"That's nice".

"And the new neighbours have arrived, look!" Hailey darted to Beca's window (that, once opened, it lead out to a small balcony and it was the only thing that Beca liked better than her Portland bedroom), ripping open the curtains and blinding her older sister.

"Dude!" Beca threw her head back, burying herself among the blankets. "Close the blinds before my eyes melt out of my head!"

Hailey laughed again. "Come on, Beca! It's time to get up!"

(Hailey loved the mornings, unlike Beca's half-sister in Maine. Three year old Courtney loved sleeping- she went to bed early and woke up late.)

"Close the blinds and I'll get up".

Hailey sighed heavily. "Okay. Sit next to me at the table! You on one side and Bree on the other".

"Alright", Beca gave in, kicking the blankets aside but keeping her eyes tightly shut. "I'm coming".

Changing into denim shorts (which made her butt look great, if she did say so herself) and a black singlet, outlining her eyes in black eyeliner and her dark eye shadow.

Choosing to go barefoot, she padded downstairs, moving silently into the kitchen.

"Good morning Beca!" her father said brightly. "Want some pancakes?"

(Any other day, she'd tell him that she wanted waffles, but pancakes were her favourite and they smelt good. Not as good as her stepbrother Adam's, but good nonetheless.)

"Alright". She shrugged, pulling out a plate from the cupboard. Once a small stack of pancakes were on her late, she reached over Hailey to drown her plate in syrup.

"Can I have some, Bec?" Henry said and Beca obliged, handing over the bottle.

"Henry, that's enough", Sheila told him.

"Beca's got more", he protested. "Bree, how come you didn't want pancakes?"

"I just wanted cereal today", Aubrey told him, and Beca grinned.

"Bree's boring, bud", she told him quietly, and Henry snickered.

"Beca", Will said warningly. "Is Chloe coming over today, Aubrey?"

"Later tonight, we're discussing the routines for the Bellas. Beca-"

"Nope".

"I'm so glad you're willing to help us win this year", she said snappily.

"Aca pella is lame".

Aubrey gasped, and Hailey and Henry's eyes widened, as if anticipating the blow-up.

"Organised lady dancing to Mariah Carey chart toppers is not lame!"

Beca shrugged, stabbing her fork into a piece of pancake, popping it into her mouth. "Not gonna happen".

"Beca, don't talk with your mouth full", Will said. "Henry, no more syrup. Hailey- well, you're not doing anything. Aubrey, stop harassing your sister".

"Stepsister", they said quickly and in unison, making both Will and Sheila sigh.

* * *

Her father had mentioned something about the house next door being sold, but Beca didn't take much note of it. Until she walked out the front to get the mail, her feet bare and headphones looped over her neck, to see a silver car pulling to a stop outside.

"_Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more, oh_!" the boy in the backseat was singing loudly (and with perfect pitch, she noted) at her, a grin a mile wide on his face.

(Please God; let that not be her neighbour.)

She simply grinned (bared her teeth? It depended on how her facial expressions were viewed), collecting the mail and heading inside.

* * *

"Beca, could you keep an eye on the twins for an hour or so?" Will wanted to know, tapping his daughter's shoulder and making her jump.

"What?"

"Could you please watch Hailey and Henry for an hour or so? Sheila and I need to go and get some groceries".

Beca glanced around the front yard- Hailey had her favourite doll in its stroller and Henry was slamming his toy cars against the fence (the white picket fence). "Sure", she said finally, hanging her headphones around her neck.

"Be good, guys, be good for Beca", Sheila told them, and they barely acknowledged her.

"Bye Mummy!" Hailey said, setting her doll down on the grass.

"Bye Daddy", Henry echoed.

"Bye guys!" Will waved at them. "Thanks, Bec".

(A part of her had thought that her father only wanted her in Barden because Aubrey wasn't home often enough to babysit.)

The twins were quiet for ten minutes, giving Beca a chance to work on her mix (a mash up of 'Titanium' and 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)') before Henry plopped down beside her on the grass.

"Beca?"

"Yeah?" she said absently.

"Can I go and meet the new neighbours?"

"What?"

"I wanna know if they have kids", he elaborated. "Wanna come?"

"Can't you just look over the fence?"

"I can't see from the front and I'm too short to see over the side fence". He frowned, and Beca felt for him, she truly did.

(Because apparently only growing to five feet was a curse that William Mitchell had to pass onto his children. Henry and Hailey were both tiny for their age, and Beca barely came up to the shoulders of her classmates.)

"Alright", she said finally, closing her laptop and standing up to put it into the house. "Hailey, come on, we're going for a walk".

"Where?"

"Just to see the new neighbours", Henry told her brightly. "They might have kids!"

"Maybe", Beca said, taking their hand s (because they might be only going to the next house, but it would be just her luck if she lost one). "I haven't seen any toys being unpacked, though".

"Maybe you just didn't see them?" Henry said hopefully. "I want a boy to play with".

"Doesn't Michael play cars with you?"

"Yeah, but not for long", he said, rolling his eyes. "If the new neighbour is a kid and a boy then we can play together!"

"I hope there's a girl, too", Hailey said.

"No, there are too many girls". Henry scrunched up his nose, surveying the yard. "Beca, I don't see any toys".

"Hey!" a girl of twelve or thirteen called, bouncing over. "Are you the neighbours?"

"Yep!" Hailey said brightly.

(Obviously her father and Sheila hadn't drilled them in stranger danger. Beca had to pull them up on that.)

"I'm Mikaela Swanson". She extended her hand to Henry, who grinned almost shyly.

(Beca made note to gently tease her little brother later.)

"I'm Henry, this is Hailey and this is my big sister-"

"Mikaela!" a voice cut Henry off and Beca glanced up to see the boy (her age?) who had serenaded her from the car, loping towards them. "Oh hey guys! I'm Jesse!"

"Is there any kids?" Hailey said hopefully, and the boy identified as Jesse laughed softly.

"Sorry kiddo, Mikaela's the youngest here, she's my little sitter".

Mikaela frowned. "You think you're all high and mighty because you're in high school now", she muttered. "What did you want?"

"Oh, Mum's looking for you". He shrugged. "She's squawking about the tablecloths or something".

"We better let you get back to your unpacking", Beca said suddenly.

"Do you like cars?" Henry looked up at him.

"I love cars!" Jesse said enthusiastically, and Beca bit her bottom lip to stop herself from breaking into a grin.

(The dark haired weirdo that had moved in next door was not bad on the eyes. And nothing was cuter than a guy playing with a kid- hell, she thought, Michael was cute when he was building train track with Henry.)

"Wanna play sometime?"

"Henry, you can't-"she began.

"I'd love to play cars!" he said cheerfully, and much to Beca's dismay, followed them back to their yard.

"I've got lots of cars- and trains. Thomas the Tank Engine is my favourite but I also like Billy and Spencer. Beca likes Diesel but sometimes Diesel scares me".

(On her first night in Barden, Beca was awoken at four thirty in the morning to Henry's screaming, something about his nightmare and trains and a chomper. Suddenly, it made more sense.)

"Beca?" Jesse glanced at him, seemingly confused.

"My big sister Beca!" Hailey pointed and Beca wanted to melt into the grass.

He grinned. "Beca".

There was something special about the girl leaning against the tree. He wasn't sure what it was, but she intrigued him.

(Maybe it was how she was able to be both adorably cute and ridiculously sexy at the same time. How did she do it? How did she pull it off?)

"Beca", he said again, sitting down beside her. She just glanced at him.

"So, what's your deal?" he paused for a moment, letting her mull it over. "Are you one of those girls who's all dark and mysterious and she takes off her glasses and that amazingly scary earspike and your realise she's been beautiful the whole time?"

(The earspike was terrifying. He saw it out of the corner of his eye and knew that she could probably kill someone with it.)

"I don't wear glasses".

"Then you're halfway there". He grinned and Beca diverted her eyes.

(Did he just call her beautiful? Had he just called her beautiful?)

"I think we're going to be great friends", he told her, and she looked at him (because who was this guy?). "I'm calling it. Best friends and or lovers".

"Don't say lovers".

(Because the last thing she wanted or needed was her little brother or sister storing that one away and bringing it up to her father and Sheila. If that one happened, she'd never hear the end of it- Aubrey would have a field day.)

"I'm calling it". His ridiculously dark eyes sparkled, and Beca bit back a smile.

"Never gonna happen".

"Are you gonna go to Beca and Bree's school?" Hailey wanted to know. "That's where my mummy and daddy work".

"Barden High?" Jesse checked, and when Hailey nodded, he grinned in delight. "I am! So I get to see you at school too Becs!"

(So, she'd known the guy for all of five minutes and he'd nicknamed her. What was up with that?)

"You're such a weirdo", she said finally.

"Jesse Swanson!" a shrill holler broke through their banter, and Mikaela's head popped over the fence. "Mum says stop flirting with the neighbour and come and help unpack!"

Jesse wasn't sure who's face turned redder, his or Beca's (he had to murder his sister, it was official).

"Tell her I'm coming", he said finally.

"Hurry up!" and Mikaela disappeared out of view, hollering back to the house.

"Sisters, who needs them?"

Beca surprised him by agreeing, nodding silently.

"Anyway, I better go before my mother explodes or something", he said, moving to his feet. "Bye Hailey, it was nice to meet you. Bye Henry, thanks for sharing your cars with me".

"Wanna play again one day?" Henry's blue eyes shone in excitement.

"You bet, little man". Jesse grinned, holding his hand out for a high five and Henry slapped his palm against the older boy's excitedly. "See you around, Bec".

"Bye nerd".

"Is that a nickname?" he said teasingly, and to his amusement, colour rushed to her cheeks. "See ya weirdo".

As he loped out of the yard into his own, he threw a glance back to the tiny brunette. Life would be a lot more interesting with his best friend and or lover around.

Beca couldn't help but watch as Jesse left her place to return to his own, thinking to herself.

(Perhaps Barden wouldn't be so bad after all.)


	3. Chapter 3

"Beca", Aubrey stood in the doorway, hands on her hops. "I want one good reason why you aren't going to become a Bella and I better not hear 'because aca pella is lame'".

Beca sighed, holding back a scream.

"Auditions are on Tuesday and-"

"because I'm not going to become one of your little flight attendants", Beca cut her off, fiving Aubrey her impression of the flight attendant fingers the blonde had been doing for the last three years. "I have no interest in singing in front of people- I have no interest in singing, period- and aca pella is lame".

Aubrey let out a frustrated scream, and Beca jumped up, ready to slam the door shut if Aubrey turned even the slightest tinge green (because she had cooked spaghetti for dinner and seeing that hurled across the room would without a doubt turn Beca off her favourite food).

"You're impossible", Aubrey snapped, slamming the door shut herself.

"You're impossible", Beca mimicked, not caring how childlike she sounded, replacing the headphones over her ears and lying back on the bed.

* * *

"What's up, weirdo?" a voice called, jolting Beca out of her own fairyland. Glancing up, she found Jesse plopping down beside her on the grass.

"Hi", she said shortly.

"Oh, there's the happy sunshine I was looking forward to brighten my day!" Jesse beamed, and Beca bared her teeth at him.

It was Monday.

She had ridden to school with both Aubrey and Chloe trying to convince her to become an organised nerd singer ("we make music all from our mouths!" Chloe had reminded her for the umpteenth time and Beca had to refrain from smacking her head against the window).

And it was halfway through the day and the boy next door had rocked up to every one of her classes.

(Stacie had spent first period English making googly eyes at the boy- sitting directly beside Beca, of course- and had hauled Beca aside afterwards, fanning herself. "Gross", Beca had murmured in response.)

Excuse her for putting on headphones and blocking out the world.

"Are you coming to the aca pella auditions?" Jesse wanted to know, and Beca almost slapped her forehead.

(Had Aubrey really gone as far as to tell the new neighbour to try and convince her to join the Bellas? She would do something like that; Beca wouldn't put it past her.)

"No".

He almost gasped. "You aren't into organised nerd singing?"

"Funnily enough, you just became less attractive".

Jesse clutched his hand to his heart. "You wound me with your words, Miss Mitchell… you find me attractive?"

Shit.

"I meant", she stuttered.

"Hey, I called it. Best friends and or lovers".

(If Stacie had her way, he would be her lover.)

"I bet you can sing. I bet you're secretly this enormous aca pella nerd, you're just too badass to show it".

He was calling it, she was a total softie. Underneath her badass exterior she was a marshmallow- he bet she had pink blankets on her bed.

"What about you?"

Of course he was into aca pella. He wore freaking Star Wars shirts. There was no doubt about it, the boy was a nerd.

He grinned. "I'm gonna be a Treblemaker".

"Sweet Jesus", she murmured.

It was then that Chloe Beale, dear sweet Chloe that Beca didn't know why she associated with Aubrey, appeared. "Hey Beca!" she said brightly, oozing happiness.

"Hi Chloe", Beca said, baring her teeth in what was almost a smile.

"I'm going to see you at auditions, aren't I?"

* * *

Somehow, by no means of her own, Beca Mitchell found herself at the Barden High School aca pella auditions.

But there was no way she was going to let Aubrey know that she was there.

She had no interest in aca pella.

But she wanted to hear Jesse's voice.

(Not that she particularly cared, but she was curious.)

She positioned herself backstage, hiding among the curtains (one of the benefits of being small. One of the only benefits- she always had the best hiding spots in hide and seek), out of sight of everyone else but with a clear view of the stage and the audience.

Somehow, Aubrey and Chloe had rounded up Stacie, Cynthia Rose, Fat Amy and Lily (who they couldn't hear speak, let alone sing) to audition for the Barden Bellas. And although Aubrey and Chloe had approached them as a group, Beca had stood her ground.

The sixteen bars of Kelly Clarkson's 'Since U Been Gone' that Jesse Swanson, super nerd, had gotten, were high.

And Beca braced herself for the worst.

But he hit that note.

"Oh my God", she whispered.

The boy could sing.

Somehow, her legs walked herself out onto the stage, much to Aubrey's surprise and Chloe's delight.

"There's one more", the redhead practically shouted, and Aubrey looked at her suspiciously.

"I didn't know we had to prepare that song".

(That probably wasn't true, but Beca had the uncanny ability to block out Aubrey Posen once she started talking.)

(She could feel her stepsister's eyes burning into her, and she knew that she was sure to receive a squawking to that night.)

She reached for the plastic cup on the table, Aubrey eyeing her warily. Sitting cross-legged on the stage, she started to clap out a rhythm, clapping and tapping on the cup and the stage.

"_I got my ticket for the long way round_", she sang, spying Stacie, Lily, Fat Amy and Cynthia Rose out of the corner of her eye. "_Two bottle of whiskey for the way. And I sure could use some sweet company, I'm leaving tomorrow what do you say_?"

By the time she was finished, Chloe's grin had grown even wider, Aubrey's scowl had darkened (Beca could only imagine the ear bashing ahead of her- "it's called aca pella for a reason, Beca, we make music with our mouths, not silly little clapping games!") And Stacie's jaw had dropped in appreciation.

But what Beca didn't notice was Jesse standing in her hiding spot, watching in wonder.

"Wow", he breathed.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey weirdo!"

Beca glanced up, seeing Jesse poked his head over the fence.

(Apparently she couldn't escape this guy.)

"Hi", she said, hanging her headphones around her neck.

"I heard you sing".

"What?" she said suspiciously. "No, you didn't."

He wasn't there.

"Yes I did", he said smugly. "You didn't tell me you could sing!"

"I can't".

(How had he heard her sing? He hadn't been there.)

"That's a lie", he told her cockily. "I heard you sing, you're gonna be one of those aca-girls. You're gonna be an aca-nerd".

She sighed heavily. "I didn't get a choice; my stepsister is the leader of the Bellas".

"Which one?"

"Aubrey Posen", she said, sounding resigned. When he looked blank, she elaborated. "The blonde".

His eyes widened. "That's your sister?"

"Stepsister".

"She's your stepsister?"

"Unfortunately", Beca nodded, and Jesse threw himself over the fence, landing on his feet.

(The kid had cat like reflexes, clearly.)

"So you're one of those aca pella nerds, huh?" she said finally. "You've suddenly become a lot less attractive to me".

He broke into a grin, and the final words of her statement registered to her ears. Colour rushed to her cheeks and she slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Oh my God-"

"You're attracted to me?" he almost giggled (because she was adorable when she was embarrassed). "I told you, Beca! Best friends and or lovers".

"Don't say lovers". Her glare darkened and he held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm just sayin', I called it".

"You're such a weirdo".

* * *

"Beca!" Aubrey hammered on the brunette's door. "We're leaving in ten minutes, you better be ready!"

"What?"

Aubrey swung open the door. "Aca initiation night! We're leaving in ten and you're not even dressed!"

"Oh darn, am I naked again?"

"Get dressed", Aubrey instructed (because she might not have the previous hot Bellas- hell, their bikini car wash was a no-go- but she was not having the one that she carpooled with turn up in a holey tank top that showed more than it covered and pyjamas pants patterned with cartoon penguins). "We're leaving in ten".

Essentially, Beca was living with a Nazi. She was absolutely certain.

Knowing that she'd regret it until the day she died if she didn't get up and change, she found the outfit that she had worn to school (discarded on her bed), before redoing her makeup.

* * *

"Ready to become a Bella?" Aubrey said with what was the most genuine grin Beca had ever received, as the little brunette crawled into the backseat.

"This better be worth it", Beca told her, stretching her seatbelt across her chest. "That's all I'm gonna say, Posen".

* * *

So apparently Aubrey had vocal cord ripping wolves that would make an appearance if a Barden Bella had sexual relations with a Treblemaker.

That was probably the most memorable of all the things that Aubrey had said.

Although the moment they had entered the rehearsal space, Chloe had tackled her to wrestle a pillow case over her head. And apparently kicking and screaming as if she was being murdered was not the okay thing to do, as Aubrey had pulled her aside to tell her.

"Look at you!" Jesse said brightly, approaching her with a grin. "Do my eyes deceive me or are you a Barden Bella?"

She shoved him gently. "Shut up, nerd".

"Beca the Bella!" he plopped down on the bench beside her, offering her a plastic cup. She eyed it warily, and he grinned. "It's being guarded like its gold, you'll be fine".

She took a sip. "Thank you".

"She's going to get Trebleboned!" Aubrey declared, and Chloe patted her shoulder gently.

"No, she's not", Chloe soothed. "That's just0 I'm fairly sure he's just the new neighbour Henry's been talking about".

(According to the youngest Mitchell child, the boy next door was his hero.)

"He's a Treblemaker, Chlo".

"She's not going to get Trebleboned, Aubrey".

Aubrey eyed them warily, before taking a sip of her own drink. "She better not".

* * *

"You were getting quite close to that Treblemaker, Beca", Aubrey said sweetly, as they climbed into her car that night.

"Aubrey!" Chloe protested.

(Her best friend just didn't know how to let things go.)

"Oh my God!" Beca slammed the door.

"You can be with anyone you want, just not a Treble", Aubrey reminded her (as if Beca hadn't heard it all before).

"Just relax; I'm not going to break your precious oath". She glared at the blonde in the rear view mirror and Aubrey frowned, starting the car.

"Isn't that the boy next door?" Chloe tried (because she had been playing the peacemaker between the two for roughly six years).

"Yep- Henry's hero", Beca said bitterly. "Don't let him hear you badmouthing him".

Aubrey frowned, choosing to stay silent. Chloe sighed heavily, and Beca crossed her arms across her chest.

(There surely had to be something in common between the two girls- more than their stubborn personalities.)

* * *

"Hi girls", Sheila said brightly, opening the door to let them in. "How was aca initiation night?"

"Fine", Beca said curtly, tossing her bag aside.

"Fine", Aubrey said, and Sheila frowned.

"Aubrey, sweetie-"

"It was good", Aubrey told her. "What's wrong?"

"What?" Sheila frowned. "What do you mean, what's wrong?"

"Oh, I just thought-"

"Oh no, sweetie, nothing's wrong", Sheila said. "Will and I just have something to tell you".

Beca, jumping to conclusions (and the worst possible outcome, as a force of habit), quickly spoke up. "If you're getting a divorce I'm catching the first plane back to Portland, and you can't stop me".

"No, Bec", her father almost laughed. "Sheila and I are not getting divorced. Quite the opposite, actually".

Aubrey hit the nail on the head. "You're pregnant".

Sheila nodded, beaming. "We told the twins at dinner. I'm going to have a baby".

Beca stood up, moving towards the stairs. "I'm going to bed".

"Beca", she heard Sheila call.

"No, leave her", Will said gently. "Give her some time to process it".

She didn't need time to process it. She knew what she wanted.

She wanted to go back home to Portland.


	5. Chapter 5

Beca kept to herself that weekend, trying to process the news. Every so often Sheila would poke her head into the room (probably to check if she was still alive) but her family generally left her alone.

(little Hailey knocked quietly on the door every so often, balancing a peanut butter and jam sandwich on a Mickey Mouse plate, offering it to her older sister. "I made sure the peanut butter and jam got all the way to the crusts", she said with a small smile, and Beca would thank her profusely, before going back to her music.)

On Monday morning, Beca set off to school, not bothering to wait for Aubrey and Chloe.

But she made the mistake of strolling past the Swanson house.

"Hey weirdo!" Jesse called brightly. "What are you doing?"

"Walking", she said shortly.

"Want some company?"

(It didn't matter if she wanted company or not, he'd be giving her company.)

She sighed heavily, as he fell into step with her, shouting out to his father that he'd be walking to school, thank you.

"What's up with you today?" he said after a few moments of silence. "I mean, you're burning holes into the sidewalk and I, for one, don't believe that's called for".

She looked at him with such a withering look that he almost retreated.

Almost.

'Why are you here?" she said finally.

"Well, my parents thought it would be a good idea to move from New York and whilst I wasn't loving the idea when I first heard it, I now believe moving to Barden was a good idea. Because we moved next door to my best friend and or lover and subsequent aca pella rival".

There it was.

There was the smile that lit up her face.

(Good God she had a great smile.)

"You're such a weirdo", she said, forcing the smile away.

(But he saw it.)

"Why are you here?" he tried.

"Because I'm not in the mood to ride to school with my father, the stepmonster, or Aubrey Posen".

"I notice you didn't say anything about us being best friends or lovers".

"Don't say lovers", she frowned at him.

"How about best friends?" he tried.

(Clearly he'd never met Aubrey Posen. And clearly he hadn't heard her 'no sexual relationships with a Treblemaker or I'll get wolves to rip out your vocal cords' spiel that Beca had heard way too often.)

She gave him a broad, very fake smile and Jesse took that as a yes.

* * *

That afternoon, as Aubrey pushed open the front door, Beca flopped onto the lounge, groaning dramatically.

"What's wrong?" Will said in alarm.

"She's insane", Beca croaked, pointing at Aubrey, who, whilst red-cheeked, was strolling around without an issue.

(If someone had told her that being a Barden Bella involved extensive amounts of cardio, Beca would have jumped the first plane back to Portland.)

"Aubrey, what did you do?" Sheila laughed coming into the room, wiping her hands on a tea towel (like the freaking domestic goddess she acted to be).

"It was just rehearsals", Aubrey shrugged, as Beca croaked again. "They're all very out of shape, Chloe was the only one who could keep up".

(If all the energy hadn't been sucked from her body by the spawn of the she-devil, Beca would have marched right over to Chloe and given her a piece of her mind. Because the redhead was able to keep up to Aubrey, the blonde seemed to think that the whole darn group could.)

"Why cardio?" Beca asked again.

(Fat Amy had laughed at Beca's horrified face, but in the end Aubrey was the only one laughing.)

"Well I'm glad you girls are home", Sheila told them. "Because I've invited the new neighbours over for dinner tonight".

"What?" Beca screeched, jumping off the lounge and almost stepping on Thomas the Tank Engine. "You invited them over for dinner?"

"Isn't their boy a Treblemaker?" Aubrey said suspiciously. "Beca?"

(Because she had noticed the budding friendship between her stepsister and the boy next door- and Beca had been known for pushing her luck.)

"You invited them over for dinner?" Beca said again.

"Hey Beca, do you think Jesse will play cars with me?" Henry questioned.

"Sure", she said, ploughing on. "This is unbelievable! Are you aware that he tortures me at school?"

(Aubrey knew she was lying at that. she was sure they were at least friends, if not more. She hoped not more. Because the Bellas needed her voice.)

"They're coming over, Bec", her father told her.

"I'm going to have a shower", she informed them, heading towards the stairs.

She could handle seeing Jesse at school. She didn't even mind seeing the nerd over the side fence. But inviting him into her house and seeing the drama that was her house in Barden, and possibly an insane asylum (she was living with Aubrey Posen).

(Her house in Portland wasn't any better, but that was not the point.)

* * *

When Beca came downstairs, she found Jesse talking intently with Henry, the pair absolutely surrounded by train tracks and toy engines. Aubrey, Hailey and Jesse's sister Mikaela had parked themselves on the lounge, their eyes focused on the television, watching The Little Mermaid.

(And good God, Aubrey was actually braiding Mikaela's hair.)

(Holy shit she was fake.)

"Hey Becs!" Jesse said brightly.

(The nickname rolled off his tongue like he had known her all his life.)

"Beca!" her father said pleasantly. 'Have you met Caroline and Barry? This is my daughter Beca".

"Hi, nice to meet you".

"Hi sweetie", Caroline said warmly (Beca froze, because for a moment she actually thought the woman would hug her). "You're the girl that Jesse's made friends with!"

(She almost saw Aubrey's ears prick up, like a freaking puppy dog.)

"We're best friends", Jesse beamed, and she just plastered a fake smile on her face, willing him not to continue (because Aubrey was a pain in the ass but she did not want to kill her).

* * *

As long as Beca Mitchell lived, she did not want to sit through dinner with the Swanson family.

It had started out okay, with mindless conversation about work and school and how nice the weather was (seriously) but conversation had turned sour when Barry, bless his heart, had questioned Aubrey about what she wanted to do after graduation. That, in turn, had brought up the topic of aca pella.

"Jesse told me you're an aca pella girl too, Beca", Caroline said with a smile, and Beca swallowed.

"Yep, I'm a Bella".

"Two Bellas and a Treblemaker", Mikaela said, and Hailey nodded.

"I'm gonna be a Bella".

"Not me", Henry piped up. "I'm gonna be a Treblemaker".

"Troublemaker", Sheila corrected with a smile.

"I hope that baby's gonna be a boy", Henry mumbled. "They can be a Treblemaker too".

"Baby?" Mikaela's eyes widened in excitement, and Sheila nodded.

"Thirteen weeks", she said with a smile.

(And now Jesse knew exactly what had gotten up Beca's nose that morning.)

"Congratulations!" Barry enthused.

And that was it. Not only was Jesse Swanson and family in her house, they were up close and personal with her life.

Freaking great.

* * *

"Hey", Jesse said softly, coming out the back carrying two mugs of tea. He offered one to her and she took it from him gratefully.

"Thank you".

"Are you okay?" he questioned, plopping down beside her.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine".

"You don't look fine", he said honestly.

(He prided himself in always being honest. That was also one of his major flaws, apparently.)

She frowned, staring into her mug of tea.

(She honestly wondered how he guessed how she liked her tea- her father and Sheila were fairly clueless and Aubrey didn't care.)

"Well, if you want someone to talk to", Jesse shrugged, "There's always me".

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks weirdo".

"I told you. Best friends and or lovers".

She glared, trying to fight back the smile trying to turn up the corners of her mouth.

She wasn't sure, but that might have been the moment that Beca Mitchell began to see him as more than the boy next door.)


	6. Chapter 6

"You need a movication", Jesse told her the next afternoon in their English class. "You need a movication and I'm going to give it to you".

She chose to ignore him, continuing to copy down the notes from the front of the room.

"Does Aubrey know about your little boy toy?" Fat Amy questioned as they left the room, and Beca started to splutter out protests.

"What?"

"She's gonna gut you like a fish", Cynthia Rose predicted with a grin. "Hey, Stacie-"

"Twenty bucks says they're together before Christmas", Stacie interrupted.

Beca stared. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Stacie laughed, wrapping an arm around her tiny little friend, whilst shaking Fat Amy, Cynthia Rose and Lily's hands.

"You're insane, you're all insane", Beca shook her head, wriggling away.

"Come on girls, time for practice!" Chloe's melodic voice broke through the girls' banter. "Aubrey's waiting!"

"With those freakin' death trap shoes", Beca grumbled.

(Because Aubrey had marched into her bedroom at five a.m to question what shoe size she wore. When Beca had bleated protests at the bright lights, Aubrey had explained that they were going to be sized for outfits that day and she wanted to get ahead of schedule. She had also mentioned that she was off for a run and if Beca was going to be able to keep up her cardio, she should do the same. Beca had growled at her and Aubrey had trotted off with way too much energy for five a.m.)

"I love shoes", Stacie said brightly, keeping one arm firmly around Beca (the smaller brunette had given up fighting her). "Almost as much as I love my nails and E!"

"Of course you do Stacie", Cynthia Rose laughed.

"Come on girls!" Aubrey's voice rang out from their practice hall, making Beca sigh heavily. She eyed them suspiciously, glancing between a scowling Beca and a smirking Fat Amy, Stacie, Cynthia Rose and Lily. "What's going on?"

"Nothing", Beca said, and Chloe brandished a measuring tape. "You're kidding, right?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?"

"No sir", Fat Amy said quickly (Beca holding back a snicker).

* * *

The universe had to be playing a trick on her. It had to be playing some sort of sick joke.

Out of all the people she had to get stuck with for the English assignment, she was stuck with Jesse freaking Swanson. And not only was she stuck with the aca Pella nerd, they were studying Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo and freaking Juliet.

(Aubrey would have a field day.)

"I think we should watch the movie", Jesse said immediately.

"Of course you do", she almost scoffed. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely! But not the Baz Lurhman tragedy", he said. "I don't care how much you like Leo DiCaprio and don't tell me you don't like Leonardo DiCaprio, that's blatant lie".

She looked at him incredulously, and he continued.

"I've got both versions of Romeo and Juliet on DVD and we could have a movie night!" he said brightly. "And I could show you The Breakfast Club too!"

"The Breakfast Club?"

(She knew the name; it was her stepbrother Adam's favourite movie. But it didn't mean that she'd seen it, or had any interest in seeing it.)

"Beca!" he whined. "Weren't you listening the other night?" he ploughed on without giving her the chance to answer (knowing that she'd only tell him that no, she had blatantly ignored him like he suspected). "The Breakfast Club is only one of the greatest scored movies of ALL TIME! This is one of the best movies in the world. John Hughes is a legend! Oh my God! I knew things were serious but I didn't realise how serious!"

* * *

And somehow, Beca found herself hosting a movie night. That Saturday.

"Alright!" Will called. "Sheila and I are going to drop the twins' off before heading off. I'm not sure what time Aubrey will be home-"

"Late", Aubrey said, as she scoured the bottom storey of the house for her shoes. "MUM! Have you seen my shoes?"

"I haven't, sweetheart", Sheila hollered back.

"In the shoe cupboard", Hailey said helpfully.

"Thank you". Aubrey plucked the shoes out of the cupboard, sliding them onto her feet.

"Are you going to be alright by yourself?"

"I told you", Beca said, fighting the urge to grit her teeth, "Jesse's coming over to work on our assignment".

"I've left you money for pizza on the counter", he said. "Good luck with your assignment, Bec. Sheila, come on, we have to go!"

Henry took Beca's hand. "Can you buckle me into my seat?"

"Sure", Beca agreed, eyeing the pile of books on the coffee table.

No sooner had her father driven off and Aubrey been collected by Michael, Jesse appeared, knocking on the front door.

"Hey weirdo!" he said brightly. "Ready to get your Shakespeare on?"

"You know", Beca said casually, letting him inside, "I know a lot of people and you're by far the weirdest".

"Thank you, that means so much to me". He clutched his heart and Beca rolled her eyes, fighting a smile.

"Let's get this over with".

"Your enthusiasm is outstanding", he complimented, dumping his backpack onto the floor and plopping down onto the couch. Unzipping his bag, he pulled out his copy of the play, his English notebook, a handful of pens, a box of microwave popcorn, his laptop and three DVDs. He settled onto the cushions, patting the seat beside him.

"You have a habit of making yourself at home, did you know that?"

He just grinned, flipping the laptop open and inserting the first DVD. "Romeo and Juliet, 1968, directed by Franco Zeferelli. Perhaps one of the most popular portrayals of Shakespeare's work- and a million times better than the Baz Lurhman travesty of the nineteen nineties".

She gasped playfully. "Jesse Swanson doesn't like a movie?"

"No one likes that movie", he deadpanned. "I mean, I could show you-"

"That's fine, there's no need for that". She shook her head and he laughed, opening the box of microwave popcorn.

"Let's do this".

Once the popcorn was pipped and cans of soda were popped, they returned to their spots on the couch to watch the movie.

* * *

"How was that?" Jesse said eagerly.

Beca groaned loudly, stretching. "Gimme a minute to roll my eyes back into my head".

"It's not that bad!" Jesse protested.

"It's over two hours, Jesse", she yawned, standing up and stretching.

(Beca had paused the movie hallway through to initiate a 'brain break', and again with half an hour to go to order their pizza. But despite that, she still believed that it was the longest two hours and twenty minutes of her life.)

Jesse shrugged, reaching for another piece of paper. "Write much down?"

"A bit". She shrugged.

Jesse ejected the disc out of the laptop before trotting to the kitchen to make more popcorn and get more drinks.

"You really do make yourself at home", she mumbled, taking a bite of pizza.

"It's what I do", Jesse called.

(Because apparently the boy had supersonic hearing as well.)

* * *

Whilst picking at the remaining pizza (they'd devouring the best part of two large pepperoni and extra cheese pizzas, resorting to picking off the topping), they'd managed to pull together a very rough draft for their presentation.

"Alright", Jesse said, setting down his pen once Beca yawned hard enough that her jaw cracked. "That's enough of that. Let's call it a night".

They'd been working for a solid four hours. That was enough.

"The Breakfast Club", he said instead, holding up the disc. "One of the greatest scored movies of all time".

(Apparently, he had been serious.)

"There's a few movies I want to show you", he said conversationally, slotting the disc into the laptop. "Rocky, ET, Star Wars- that's Benji's favourite, if we're watching it we're going to watch it with Benji- Jaws and Ferris Bueller's Day off. John Hughes is a legend".

"Right", she said slowly.

As Jesse skipped through the movie, Beca examined the DVD case. "Tell me, what does Judd Nelson eat for breakfast?"

"Well, like all misunderstood rebels he feels off hypocrisy… and black coffee to help with his morning dumps".

She chuckled. "You're an idiot".

"Not true, I'm full of fun facts". He beamed at her. "Watch the movie".

There was a lot of dramatic voice over, babbling on about brains and princesses and basket cases, while a guy who looked homeless wandered across a football field.

But her attention was not captured by the movie. Her attention was caught by Jesse, who was mouthing along to the worlds on screen. And when the hobo pumped his fist into the air, Jesse did too.

"You're missing it!" he protested.

"Sorry!"

She turned back to the screen, but suddenly Jesse was facing her.

As the song that launched Simple Minds in the US started (and Jesse thought she hadn't listened), she found Jesse tilting his head towards her.

(And then she made a really stupid decision.)

She turned her head away, giving Jesse a face full of hair.

"It's good", she assured him, shuffling forward on the lounge. "I'm sure the rest of the movie is just as good".

"I can die a hero", he said finally, standing up. "Beca-"

It was at that moment that they heard a key in the lock, and Aubrey make her way inside.

"Hello", she said in surprise.

"And I'm out", Jesse declared, closing his laptop and beginning to pack away his books. "Always a pleasure, Aubrey. Good night, Becs".

"See you later", Beca said quietly.

"Bye, Aubrey". The boy smiled at the blonde, before letting himself out.

"How was your night?" Aubrey questioned, hanging up her handbag and jacket. "Have Mum and Will called?"

"It as fine", Beca told her, closing the pizza boxes and gathering up the empty cans and mugs. "No, they didn't. I'm going to have a shower and go to bed".

"Good night", Aubrey called after her, watching as Beca advanced up the stairs.

And as the water pounded down on her, her shoulders stinging, Beca knew that she'd made a huge mistake.

"Shit".

* * *

"She's gonna get Trebleboned", Aubrey fretted downstairs, as she pulled up the Bellas routine for the next month on her laptop. "She's gonna get trebleboned by the boy next door".


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the confusion! I thought I posted this this morning, but its been brought to my attention I uploaded a chapter of a different story. Sorry guy! That'll teach me to do things half asleep before I leave for work! Here's the real chapter 7 :)**

* * *

Things were slightly awkward between Beca and Jesse after the Breakfast Club incident.

(Although Beca did do a quick IMDB search on the film and was bombarded by even more trivia than Jesse had thrown at her.)

But, in the short time that Beca had known Jesse, she had learnt that he bounced back quickly.

So she was not at all surprised when he plopped down, tossing a juice pouch at her.

(What was with the juice pouches? He carried them around like a child and found ways to slip them into her backpack.)

"These are like our thing now, aren't they?" he said brightly.

"No, it's not". She shook her head, easing her headphones off her ears.

"Can it be our thing?" he said brightly. "What are you listening to?"

(Apparently it was like conversing with Henry. Unless the four year old was talking about cars or trains, he jumped from topic to topic.)

"One of my mixes", she explained (why was she telling him this?). Offering him the headphones, she began to explain. "I just find beats that are the same and mesh them together".

"Wow, this is really good!"

He was talking really loud and it took everything she had to bite back a smile.

Taking off the headphones, h beamed at her. "That's amazing, Beca".

"Thanks", she said awkwardly.

(Apparently she had trouble accepting compliments. He'd have to change that.)

"How's Bellas practice?" he wanted to know.

(As if he hadn't heard the argument that had started at the breakfast table and continued the car ride to school. Jesse Swanson had ridiculously good hearing.)

"With the she-devil? Sorry, spawn of the she-devil? It's wonderful, I really enjoy it". She beamed sarcastically at him.

"And that's what I thought". He beamed right back. "So, are you preparing for the riff-off?"

Her face fell. "What the hell is a riff-off?"

* * *

"Hey Bec-"Chloe's pleasant voice was cut off by the slam of the back door and Beca's pronounced scowl. "Oh. You didn't have a good day, then?"

"Seatbelt", Aubrey told her, and Beca stretched it across her chest before leaning forward.

"So, um… when were you going to tell me about the riff-off?" she demanded.

"Now, I am sure that I mentioned it".

"I beg to differ Aubrey Posen! Were you planning on telling me about it?"

"Of course!"

"And what if I had made plans on Friday night?"

(So she wasn't the most social of butterflies, but she might have made plans. Aubrey Posen shouldn't assume.)

"You committed to the Bellas, Beca".

"It's always fun, Beca", Chloe assured her. "It's a bit of aca pella fun".

"That's not happening".

* * *

"I can't believe this", Beca growled, as she wrapped a scarf around her neck. "It's Friday night and I'm actually going to a riff-off. What the hell is a riff-off?"

And, to make the evening even worse, it was turning into a family occasion. Apparently riff-offs at Barden High were as popular as football games. So her father and Sheila were chaperoning it, and the twins were coming to watch.

"Last year was fun, Beca", Hailey said as Beca climbed into the backseat. "The Bellas won, right Bree?"

"Of course the Bellas won!" Aubrey beamed at her (and if Beca made a snide comment about the finals, she'd punch her in the mouth).

"Let's do this!" Will said cheerfully, as he made himself comfortable in the driver's seat.

* * *

"LADIES OF THE EIGHTIES!"

Beca was unsure what was going to happen, but seeing Jesse and Bumper Allen step forward and come out with 'Mickey' was absolutely not it.

And two songs later, when Chloe, Fat Amy and Aubrey started 'Hit Me with Your Best Shot', she was a little confused.

(Maybe this riff-off wouldn't be as bad as she thought.)

"So we just sing any song that works?" Beca checked with Chloe, "And we just go with it?"

"Yep!" the redhead smiled at her.

"SONGS ABOUT SEX!"

(Stacie's category. Her eyes lit up and Fat Amy rolled her eyes.)

"Songs about sex", Aubrey said quickly, and Cynthia Rose and Stacie ran forward.

Although not even Cynthia Rose could take on the Trebles. It seemed that the entire riff-off was between the Bellas and the Trebles (although Beca wasn't particularly interested in the aca Pella world, she knew that they were the biggest rivals).

So when Jesse stepped forward with 'It Feels like the First Time', Beca knew she'd have to step it up a notch. And when Jesse pointed playfully at her, she had to take him down (blowing him a sarcastic kiss in response).

"it's going down, fade to Blackstreet the homies got me collab' creations, bump like acne", she rapped, flicking him away. His eyes widened and she continued. "No doubt I put it down, never slouch, as long as my credit could vouch a dog couldn't catch me, straight up. Tell me who could stop when one making moves, attracting honeys like a magnet, giving 'em eargasms with my mellow accents. Still moving this flavour with my homies, Blackstreet and Teddy, the original rump shakers…" her voice trailed off, looking around helplessly at the girls for support.

"Keep going", Jesse told her.

So she did.

"Shorty get down good Lord", she sang, "Baby got them open up all over town-"

Fat Amy and Cynthia Rose came forward, beaming.

"Strictly biz she don't play around, cover much ground, got game by the pound!"

It was the first time that their group had actually 'clicked'. They were listening to each other and playing off what others sang, and it worked.

But apparently the Bellas working together wasn't enough. Because they were…

"CUT OFF!"

"I never heard that rule!" Aubrey protested loudly.

But that wasn't enough.

"Alright, before everyone goes to bed tonight, I want you to make a list of everything you did wrong", Aubrey informed them, an Beca stared at her incredulously.

"What we just did was great, right?"

Chloe smiled at her encouragingly.

"We were actually listening-"

"Calm your pits, Beca", she snapped. "We still lost".

Beca sighed, her shoulders deflating as Aubrey marched away.

(She thought that she had done something right. Apparently not.)

* * *

That night, when Beca had tucked herself into bed, there was a knock at her door.

"Yes?" she said in surprise.

"I hope you're working on your list", Aubrey told her, poking her head into the room. Ad sensing that her stepsister was going to toss a pillow (or a rock) at her she made a hasty escape.

"She's actually insane", Beca voiced. "She's actually batshit crazy".


	8. Chapter 8

The night before their first official performance (Aubrey had been counting down and confiscated Beca's flight attendant costume, should the brunette try and revolt), it stormed.

Beca Mitchell hated storms more than anything in the world. Not because she was scared of thunder of lighting, because she wasn't a wuss. Simply because of the memories attached. Everything bad that had ever happened in her life had happened in the middle of a storm.

The day her dog died, it stormed. The day that she found out her grandfather, one of her favourite people in the world, had had a heart attack, it stormed.

And the night that William Mitchell left his seven year old daughter, it was basically a monsoon. And she sat in her bedroom window at the front of the house, tears streaming down her face harder than the round pounding on the roof.

"Beca", Aubrey said, and Beca groaned loudly, advancing down the hallway.

"Oh my God, I promise I know the set!"

"No, I was just going to say suggest you get an early night. It's going to be a big day tomorrow". And she gave her a smile.

"Alright", Beca told her, closing her bedroom door. But instead of climbing into bed, she put her headphones on and climbed up onto her window seat, pulling the curtains close around her. Thunder roared and lightning flashed through the sky, and she stared at the glass, remembering that night like it was yesterday.

(He'd promised he'd never leave her, and he'd left. That was the day that seven year old Beca's walls went up and never came down.)

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when her phone vibrated beside her, making her jump.

**Hey weirdo, too nervous to sleep?**

How the hell did Jesse know she wasn't asleep? She couldn't get away from her freaking stalker at any point at all. Freaking Jesse Swanson.

**What the hell?**

His reply came through almost instantly.

**You look sad. Or worried. I can't tell.**

"Oh my God!" she said out loud.

**Swanson, are you stalking me?**

Jesse grinned to himself, tapping out a reply.

**Your bedroom is opposite mine. I can see you sitting in your window.**

"Oh my God!" she repeated, colour rushing to her cheeks. She was never opening her curtains again. Ever.

(She thought frantically, had she gotten changed in her room recently? Never again, she knew that for sure.)

**OH MY GOD!**

Jesse actually laughed out loud.

**Relax, I'm a gentleman. Are you alright? Or just worried that the Trebles are going to beat the Bellas?**

Their banter had actually become something that she enjoyed. She didn't mind his endless babbling about film trivia, and she loved to tell him about her Bellas (and did she just refer to them as her Bellas? Good Lord, she had been spending too much with Aubrey Posen) were going to whip their Treble butts.

**I'm fine.**

(She typed the way she talked. Jesse could actually hear her voice telling him that she was okay and to drop the subject immediately.)

**And you're the one who needs to be worried **

(That wasn't necessarily true. Her stepbrother Adam had texted her earlier that afternoon and in conversing with her, made her promise to show them the video on the occasion that 'Upchuck: The Sequel' happened. And Beca was actually worried about being involved in the upchuck fest.)

(Her mother had protested loudly and didn't want to see the sequel, and had gasped dramatically as Beca giggled while showing them. she had been horrified, despite knowing the relationship her daughter had with the blonde.)

**You keep telling yourself that sweetheart**

She frowned.

**Never call me that again. Ever.**

Jesse grinned.

**Well if you want to talk, I'm here. Because it's inevitable that we are best friends and or lovers. Good night best friend**

It had gotten to the point where she didn't even tell him not to say lover. Because he ignored her either way.

**See you tomorrow.**

(He didn't miss the fact that his message put a smile on her face.)

* * *

Chloe told them they looked sharp. And yet they still looked like that ragtag team of misfits that muddled around the Bellas rehearsal space, only that time, they were wearing the same uniform.

"Alright girls", Aubrey told them, as she bustled around; fixing their scarves and ensuring their uniforms were straight. "Remember, exactly as we rehearsed it", she reminded them again, buttoning Stacie's shirt a little higher. "Exactly as we rehearsed it".

Beca found it somewhat amusing that they had been forced to learn the exact routine that had been the soundtrack to Aubrey's violent vomiting only months earlier. It was her chance to redeem herself, she'd claimed in the car one morning.

(Adam, upon finding out, had all but begged Beca to send him a recording of the performance. "You've got to send me 'Upchuck: The Sequel'", he had texted her that morning, in case she'd forgotten their conversation the day before.)

"Let's do this!" Chloe put her arms around Beca and Lily, grinning. "Hands in girls!"

* * *

Apparently, Fat Amy missed the memo.

* * *

"Fat Amy", Aubrey said sharply, as she inspected her white blouse, the handful of missing buttons resting in her palm, "You need to do it exactly as we rehearsed it! That's how we're going to get to the finals!"

Fat Amy's face fell, as Aubrey handed her back the blouse. "Yes sir", she murmured.

"I liked it", Beca whispered, and Fat Amy grinned.

Despite what Aubrey had deemed 'Fat Amy's little blunder' ("Aubrey, not everything warrants a major incident report!" Beca had said with an eye roll), they still got a place. And that alone was enough for Aubrey Posen.

"Good job today girls", Aubrey told them before they split. "Rehearsal, first thing on Monday morning". As an afterthought, she caught Beca by the arm, as the brunette tried to escape towards the door.

(She didn't really know where she was escaping, Aubrey was her ride home.)

"Beca?"

"Yes?"

"A little more emotion. You look bored".

Beca sighed. "Okay".

* * *

**Upchuck: the sequel?**

Beca chuckled, as Adam's message popped up on the screen.

**Unfortunately, no. always next time.**

And despite the flight attendant uniform hanging on the doorknob and the deathtrap shoes that had been kicked into the corner, Adam's reply made her beam.

**Well done little sister**

(It also made her very, very homesick.)


	9. Chapter 9

That weekend, Beca barely saw Aubrey. She was positive that the blonde was holed up in her bedroom, composing a new Bellas schedule (and, when she realised that her car was missing, she knew she had gone to harass poor Chloe).

And on Monday morning, as she sleepily removed herself from the backseat (she had tried to nap but Chloe had been practicing voice runs), it was confirmed.

"Alright girls!" Aubrey announced.

Their performance had been good, she told them, despite Fat Amy choosing to ignore their rehearsals. But in order to get to the finals in May, they needed to try harder.

"That song is tired", Beca burst out. "We're never going to win with it!"

Aubrey narrowed her eyes at the tiny brunette. "Excuse me?"

"If we pull samples from different genres and layer them together-"

"Alright, let me explain something to you because you still don't seem to get it", Aubrey said sharply. "Our goal is to get to the finals, so excuse me for not listening to some alt-girl who's ever been in a competition".

"Okay", Beca muttered, retreating.

Chloe eyed the smaller girl sadly (because she had heard Beca's music and that girl had talent), knowing that it was going to be a long car ride home.

* * *

She found another girl sitting in her seat in English class. Instead of sitting beside Jesse (who drove her insane, but if she was honest she enjoyed their banter), she had to take a seat behind him.

"Hey Becs!" Jesse waved brightly.

"Hi Beca", Beth said with a smile.

"Hi Jesse". She gave him a small smile, opening her book.

(She wasn't jealous. Beca Mitchell wasn't not a jealous person.)

(Why did she get knots in her stomach when she saw Beth laughing with Jesse?)

* * *

That afternoon, Beca set off home without Chloe and Aubrey.

And Jesse.

But, like a bloodhound, he sniffed her out, jogging after her.

"Hey weirdo!" he hollered, before realising that her big noise blocking headphones were missing. She turned around, almost wincing as his voice broke through her silence.

"Hi Jesse".

"So you were too quiet in English", he noted. "You've been off all day".

(How was it that Jesse had known her all of five minutes and knew when she was having a bad day, and yet she had been her father's daughter for fifteen years and he couldn't pick it?)

"I'm fine", she said shortly, as he fell into step with her.

"You were great on Friday", he said honestly. The dark and mysterious girl, whilst not centre stage, was a definite stand out in the Bellas. Aubrey was crazy for not giving her a solo.

"Fat Amy was a surprise", he added as an afterthought, breaking into a grin. And to his surprise, Beca broke into an actual smile (and was the immovable Beca Mitchell actually holding back a laugh?).

"Believe me, you weren't the only one".

(The Australian was unique.)

And the banter that was usually reserved for class continued all the way to their street.

Until little Hailey Mitchell came screaming out of the house.

"Hi Hailey", Jesse said in surprise.

"Beca! Look at what Henry did! Look at what Henry did!"

"What did Henry do?" Beca said immediately, following her sister into the house. "Henry Mitchell!"

Jesse, unsure what to do, followed the two girls into the house. Henry was standing in the kitchen, his face red and tear streaked and his bottom lip trembling.

"What did you do?" Beca questioned, kneeling down to look at the little boy.

(Ordinarily Jesse would have made a short joke, directed at his friend, but he knew it wasn't the time.)

"Beca", he said shakily, before bursting into tears. "I'm sorry!"

"What did you do?" she repeated, and Hailey clambered up onto the counter.

"Hailey get down", Sheila said wearily. "Henry, did you tell your sister what you did?"

Any sense of calm that Beca had been feeling flew out the window. "What. Did. You. Do?" she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

(She got on with Henry. They were buds. What the hell had he done?)

"Becs, I think you're scaring him", Jesse said gently, and Henry took three steps towards his friend, wrapping one arm around Jesse's leg.

"I'm sorry", Henry hiccupped. "I just wanted to listen to your music!"

All Beca could imagine was the thousands of dollars' worth of mixing equipment and software (guilt presents from both ends of the parental scale) crashing to their death.

So when a pair of snapped headphones was what Henry showed her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's happening in here?" Aubrey questioned, coming into the kitchen to find her brother crying, Beca looking like she was going to cry, Jesse standing with aforementioned crying child and Hailey still sitting on the counter. "Henry, what happened?"

"Its fine", Beca said finally.

"Beca, your father and I will replace them for you", Sheila told her. "Henry, that's enough. Aubrey sweetheart, how was school? Jesse, honey is your mother home?"

"I think so", Jesse shrugged. "Becs-"

"I'll talk to you tonight", Beca said, "I've got homework".

(Jesse's shoulders slumped slightly, because he was going to suggest that they finish their homework together. But Beca's face showed that she was not in the mood for human company at all, not even from her best friend.)

* * *

"Hi Mum", Beca said, stretching out on her bed and tossing her shoes across the room. "Can I come home?"

"Beca, sweetheart-"

"Or for Christmas? Can I come home for Christmas?" she pushed on. "Please?"

Jill Ryerson sighed. "Beca, sweetheart, I'd love more than anything for you to come home for Christmas. I'll your father a call, alright? I can't promise anything though".

"Okay", she said quietly.

"Now, tell me, how's school? How's your singing group? How's the boy that moved in next door?"

(Beca could almost see the sparkles in her mother's eye and Beca rolled her own. Her mother was way too excited about Beca's non-existent love life.)

"Its fine, we made it into the semi-finals".

"Adam told us! Congratulations! Hal and I are very proud".

They spoke for almost twenty minutes, until Jill heard her daughter yawn.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed, Beca", Jill said softly. "I'll talk to your father tomorrow, alright? I love you".

"I love you too".

(Beca didn't realise how much she missed Portland until she spoke to her mother.)

* * *

"Was spending Thanksgiving with the Treblemaker your idea?" Aubrey questioned, as Beca shuffled sleepily into the kitchen.

"Excuse me?"

And then the penny dropped.

"Sheila wanted to talk to Caroline yesterday", Beca almost groaned, sitting down at the table and putting her head in her hands. "I swear it wasn't my idea".

"Well this is going to be fun. Thanksgiving with the enemy".

"That's a little over the top, don't you think?" Beca yawned.

(Thanksgiving with the enemy. There was a very real chance that Jesse might die laughing if he heard.)

"You and Jesse are pretty close", Aubrey said carefully, and Beca sighed.

"For the thousandth time, Aubrey, I am not secretly hooking up with Jesse, I promise. There is no need to send the wolves after me".

(Although she assured her regularly, Aubrey couldn't help but feel that there was something between them. she wasn't blind.)

"Are you ready to go?" Aubrey said instead, changing the subject.

(Beca did not like their before school Bellas practices.)

* * *

"Did you hear the good news?" Jesse said brightly, as Beca entered their English classroom.

(The fact that Beth wasn't sitting in her seat made her heart soar. Why?)

"What news?"

"I hear we're celebrating Turkey Day together!"

"So Aubrey was right", Beca mused.

(Somehow she didn't think that last year's Portland Thanksgiving dress code would be acceptable. Beca and her mother's family had sat down to their turkey dinner wearing a mixture of sweatpants and pyjamas.)

"Get excited Becs!"

And if that wasn't enough to brighten Jesse's day, they received their grade for their Romeo and Juliet assignment that morning. And Jesse Swanson and Beca Mitchell ("Becs! If you think about it, we could be today's Romeo and Juliet!" "Please, sweet Jesus, never say that again". "Think about it! You're a Bella, I'm a Treble- Aubrey's got vocal cord ripping wolves- it's something straight from Shakespeare!" "Jesse, I swear to God-") received an A plus.

"We work well together", Jesse said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around the tiny brunette.

And, for possibly the first time ever, she didn't shrug him away.

(What neither of them saw was Stacie and Fat Amy shaking hands on yet another bet.)


	10. Chapter 10

"Happy Turkey Day!" Jesse said brightly. "Looking sharp Becs".

"Come on in weirdo".

Jesse and Mikaela followed her into the house, grinning cheesily.

"Jesse, come and watch the parade!" Henry called brightly.

(The little boy had taken to avoiding Beca after the initial headphone incident, but Jesse was his best friend.)

Jesse took a seat beside Beca on the floor, Henry climbing into his lap.

"Jesse?" Hailey said from the couch, where Aubrey was tying her hair into pigtails. "Have you been to the parade?"

"I have, I used to live in New York. Mikaela and I have both been a few times".

"I want to go. Bree said that one day we can go. Wanna come?"

"Sure", Jesse chuckled.

"Are you gonna come too Becs?" Hailey questioned.

(Her sister's innocence made Beca smile. She wasn't completely sure if she got the extent of their feud, or chose to ignore it.)

"Maybe", Beca shrugged, and Hailey beamed.

"Beca?" Henry said carefully. "What's your favourite balloon?"

"Clifford", Beca answered easily. Whilst she changed her mind regularly, Clifford remained a favourite. She and Adam argued about it regularly- it was a Thanksgiving tradition, like the parade.

They sat in a comfortable silence, the occasional squeal of excitement from Hailey, Henry and Mikaela.

"There's Santa!" Hailey hollered.

Santa on the screen reminded Beca of her conversation with her mother. She had yet to call her back, or even tell her if she had spoken to Will, but Beca was hopeful. If she had her way, she'd be spending Thanksgiving in Portland too, but that might push her father over the edge.

* * *

Once the parade was over, Caroline and Barry arrived (bearing desserts, much to Jesse's delight- he found turkey and the trimmings took up room that could be filled with dessert).

They took seats around the Mitchells' large dining room table, Jesse sliding into a seat beside Beca.

(If Sheila made them hold hands whilst giving thanks, Beca wasn't going to cry.)

As Barry gave thanks (they didn't hold hands) and Will carved the turkey, Jesse passed the pot of potatoes to Beca.

"This looks great Mrs Mitchell", Mikaela said with a bright smile, as Aubrey passed a bowl of steamed vegetables.

"Thank you- Mikaela, sweetheart, you can call me Sheila".

"How's school going, Aubrey?" Barry questioned, as he helped Hailey pour gravy onto her plate. "Caroline and I saw your performance, girls, you went really well!"

"Thank you. School is going well". And she proceeded to launch into a spiel about how college applications and the Bellas were keeping her busy.

Somewhere in the middle of her rambling, Beca tuned out.

But the words 'Christmas' and 'riff-off' caught her attention. She swallowed audibly (Jesse turning to her in concern), before pointing her fork and a piece of carrot at her stepsister in a panic.

"What did you say?"

"The Christmas riff-off", Aubrey said patiently. "It's just an idea that Chloe and I have been playing around with".

(Beca couldn't get in trouble is she hadn't heard about it. Not even Aubrey could be that cruel.)

"That sounds fun", Aubrey said brightly, and Beca stared down at her plate.

"Maybe", she mumbled.

(Beca knew that Chloe and Aubrey would be all for dressing up. Santa hats, reindeer antlers and goddam Rudolf noses- and knowing Fat Amy the way she did, the Australian would insist on dressing up as Santa Claus himself.)

Aubrey broke into a grin, despite the unsure look on Beca's face.

"That sounds wonderful", Caroline said brightly.

"Can I come and watch?" Henry questioned. "I wanna be a Treblemaker one day Jesse, so I wanna come and watch!"

"I don't know buddy, you'll have to ask your mum and Dad", Jesse said.

"We'll see, Henry", Will said.

And then conversation turned to Sheila's pregnancy and Beca turned to her mashed potatoes.

* * *

Beca didn't like to admit it, but Barden holidays were incredible, solely for Sheila's chocolate pie. The stepmonster was a freaking domestic goddess, and Beca hated it.

But she couldn't hate that pie.

"I thought Mum's pumpkin pie was good", Jesse said with a grin, bringing a plate towards Beca. "You're awfully quiet".

"Just trying to digest a month's worth of food". She accepted the second piece of pie (her Bellas costume was not going to thank her).  
"Mum!" Mikaela said suddenly, setting down her plate. "Can I go and get our Charlie Brown DVD?"

(She knew that Jesse's love of movies had to be hereditary. There was no other way.)

"Of course", Will said easily, and Barry tossed the key to his daughter.

"I think it's in Jesse's room".

"Peanuts, really?" Beca looked at him, her face a mixture of disgust and amusement.

"We've got all the holiday specials", Jesse reported. "I'm awesome like that. I'm making you watch Merry Christmas Charlie Brown with me. And the Grinch".

(The thought of being in Portland for Christmas made her insides knot. She wanted to go to Maine and despite being a movication, it sounded kind of fun. Jesse was as passionate about his movies as she was about her music.)

"Nerd", she said after a pause, her eyes sparkling.

"Weirdo", he shot back, an ear to ear grin on his face.

* * *

"I CANNOT believe you fell asleep", Jesse complained, stretching out his legs in front of him. "Seriously, Becs, it's like half an hour. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving only goes for thirty minutes and you fell asleep".

(Beca did feel slightly bad about that. she had intended on falling asleep- especially not with her head on his shoulder. That was unfortunate.)

(Beca hadn't missed the daggers Aubrey had been shooting her.)

"I really liked it Jesse", Hailey said sincerely, lifting herself out of her child-sized Cinderella couch. "Is there a Christmas one?"

Jesse was honestly shocked that the Mitchell children hadn't seen the Peanuts holiday specials. Beca, understandably (movie hating fool) but poor Hailey and Henry.

(Jesse made note to tell his parents exactly what the twins would want for Christmas.)

"There is a Christmas one", Jesse nodded, and she hopped up onto his lap (slightly shoving Beca out of the way, much to her sister's annoyance).

"Can we watch it?"

Aubrey laughed. "Hailey, sweetie, Thanksgiving isn't even over yet".

"Tomorrow, then?" Henry shrugged. "Mikaela?"

"I don't know, maybe!" Mikaela shrugged. "Maybe closer to Christmas".

"Okay", he said quietly.

* * *

The Swanson stayed well into the afternoon, before the leftovers were divided up and they parted separate ways.

"Happy Thanksgiving, weirdo", Jesse said gently, as Beca lingered in the front doorway.

"Happy Thanksgiving, nerd". And she grinned softly at him.

(Aubrey saw their exchange. She had to pull Beca aside and remind her of the oath once more.)

* * *

"Beca", Will called from the living room later that night, as Beca padded towards the stairs, pyjamas clad and clutching a mug of tea.

"Yeah?"

"I spoke to your mother the other day".

Beca's shoulders slumped, because she knew that voice. That was the voice that was going to make her stay in Georgia for Christmas. "Yeah?"

"She told me that you've asked to go to Portland for Christmas". He waited for her response and when she nodded, he continued. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She shrugged.

"Sheila and I are so happy that you're in Barden with us", he said gently. "But we both understand how much you miss Portland".

(Beca hadn't realised how much Portland meant to her until she left.)

'You can go to Portland for Christmas", Will concluded. "But Sheila and I would like very much that you're home in Barden for New Year's".

She nodded. "That's fair".

"But Becs?"

"Next time, please ask me yourself".

"Okay", she almost whispered.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Beca".

"Happy Thanksgiving Dad".

(He was breaking down her walls. Slowly but surely- he had to be careful with what he said. The smallest thing could send her into total shutdown mode.)

* * *

**Coming home for Christmas!**

Beca's face lit up when Adam's reply came through.

**Baby sis is coming home! Too quiet without you Becs **

Her home in Portland was far from quiet, but it was home.


	11. Chapter 11

Aubrey's Christmas riff-off idea did go ahead. And Beca wasn't surprised in the slightest when she walked into the Bellas rehearsal space on December first to see tinsel and a huge banner strung across the room.

"Merry Christmas!" Chloe called brightly.

(She'd spent her entire free period decorating. The Bellas had better appreciate her efforts.)

As Stacie, Cynthia Rose, Beca, Fat Amy and Lily took in what Chloe had done (looking a little shell-shocked), Aubrey passed around reindeer antlers, Santa hats and Rudolf noses.

"Absolutely not". Beca shook her head, as Aubrey gave her a bright red nose. "I'm not dressing up".

"Beca Mitchell", Aubrey said warningly. "This is not going to turn out like Halloween".

(Halloween had turned into a screaming match, where Aubrey threatened to pin her down and force the costume onto her. Fat Amy had nodded enthusiastically because she was not afraid to crash tackle her friend.)

"Put the antlers and nose on", Aubrey said sweetly.

And Beca (grumbling loudly), slipped the antlers behind her ears and squeezed the red ball onto her nose.

"Gather around!" Chloe called suddenly.

"Instagram that shit!" Stacie declared, as they posed for a Bellas group shot.

"I am Instagramming that shit!" Chloe agreed.

(If Jesse found out she would never, ever live it down.)

"Alright", Aubrey said. "We have organised a Christmas riff-off for two Fridays from now- and when we're back for the New Year we have a performance".

"And then the semi-finals are in March", Chloe added. "And we really want to knock the Treblemakers off their perch, so we'll be rehearsing hard".

"We aren't wearing our flight attendant uniforms for Christmas, are we?" Cynthia Rose checked.

(Aubrey frowned slightly at the fact that her uniforms were described as flight attendants.)

"No, Chloe and I are organising something".

"It could be something off Mean Girls!" Stacie said enthusiastically. "It could be something off Mean Girls, isn't that a good idea?"

"Absolutely! My sexy fat arse could pull that off!" Fat Amy said confidently.

"Oh my God!"

Mean Girls was probably the only movie that Beca had sat through in approximately eight years, something that Chloe had dragged her downstairs to watch on a visit to Barden.

(Eleven year old Beca had tried to escape, protesting the whole time, but Chloe had insisted that she'd love it.)

"I hadn't thought of that!" Chloe's piercing blue eyes lit up, and Aubrey beamed.

"That's good, Stacie! Chloe and I will definitely consider it".

As Stacie and Fat Amy animatedly discussed their newest outfits, Beca sunk further into her chair.

December was going to be a very long month.

* * *

"Hey weirdo!" Jesse called, running after Beca. "Beca! Wait up!"

She slowed down, removing the plastic earphones from her ears (because Sheila and her father hadn't been able to find the exact pair of headphones that Henry had broken). "Hey nerd".

Beca Mitchell was a mystery. The tiny girl was so different around so many people. Around him, she bit sarcastic remarks in retort to his prodding, all the while fighting back one of those amazing smiles. But around her family, she was almost silent (he put that down to moving from Maine to Barden that year, but that was only a guess). And around the Bellas, she laughed and joked- except around Aubrey.

(Jesse couldn't work out if the blonde intimidated her or what, but they did not get along.)

"Are the Bellas doing a secret Santa?" Jesse wanted to know.

They were. Beca had drawn Stacie's name and was tempted to get her a bottle of nail polish and a box of condoms.

"I got Bumper", Jesse complained. "Freaking Bumper Allen".

"Could have been worse", Beca shrugged. "You could have gotten Aubrey Posen".

Jesse chuckled. "Is that who you got?"

"No, I got Stacie. I'm getting her a bottle of nail polish and a box of condoms. But that's not the point; I still have to get her a present. Having seven and a half brothers and sisters has its disadvantages". She gave him a small smile.

"Speaking of Christmas, what can I get you, Miss Mitchell?"

"What?" her eyes widened. "Jesse-"

"Hey! I need to get my best friend or lover a Christmas present!" he protested.

"Don't say lover".

"Got your eyes on anything?" he pressed on. "Come on Becs-"

"I don't want anything for Christmas".

He frowned. "Well you're just no help at all".

* * *

"Oh my God!" Beca's eyes grew wide as Chloe paraded into their living room. "Aubrey, no. I'm begging you; do not make me wear that".

Stacie Conrad, according to Chloe Beale, had good ideas. Stacie Conrad, according to Beca Mitchell, should never speak again.

Because Chloe was parading around in a Mean Girls-esque Christmas outfit.

"How great are we going to look!" Aubrey enthused. "Mum!"

"Very nice Chloe sweetheart", Sheila complimented. "Are you all going to be wearing that?"

"Yes", Aubrey said, at the same time that Beca answered, "Absolutely not".

"Beca", Aubrey glared.

"So not going to happen".

"Beca", Chloe said gently.

Beca could tell by the tone in the redhead's voice that she'd be talked into wearing that red and white monstrosity. And she hated her for it.

* * *

"Beca", Aubrey said in exasperation, "What are you wearing?"

"I think I'm highly appropriately dressed", she reported, the red overcoat that she'd found in the hall closet reaching her knees. "Aubrey-"

"Take the coat off, Beca", Aubrey said with a sigh, and Beca groaned.

"You're insane. You're actually batshit crazy".

Exchanging glances, Cynthia Rose and Fat Amy grabbed Beca by the arms and Chloe tugged on the buttons.

"Oh my God-"

"Stop moving", Chloe instructed.

"We look hot", Stacie pronounced. "We look as good as the old Bellas! Why are we not Instagramming this shit?"

That was probably a matter of opinion, but no one objected.

(Chloe Instagrammed that shit.)

"Alright, hands in!" Aubrey instructed.

"On three or after three?" Cynthia Rose wanted to know.

"On three".

"After three?"

"Why can't we work this out?" Fat Amy wanted to know.

"Screw it, let's just do it".

Beca shuffled onto the stage, feeling Jesse's eyes on her.

"Distracting the enemy, good work Shortie McGee", Fat Amy said confidently, and Beca flushed.

"wow", Hat said in approval, looking up and down at Stacie. Stacie winked back, and Chloe pulled her closer.

"Stacie, focus".

"Good girl Stacie", Fat Amy said with a wink.

"Amy!"

"Wow", Jesse said under his breath.

(Beca Mitchell might have been oblivious to how she looked, but Jesse Swanson sure as hell wasn't.)

"If the Bellas and the Trebles collaborate, we could get really far", Beca said.

"What?" Aubrey almost shrieked. "Absolutely not. Why would you say that?"

Lily chuckled silently and Cynthia Rose grinned.

(They saw Beca and Jesse together. And they too had bets going. Fat Amy said the New Year, but Stacie said by the time the school year split for summer.)

"Let's do this!" Bumper whooped. "We're gonna crush you", he tossed in with a grin and Aubrey stuck out her arm to hold Fat Amy back.

"Amy, no".

The High Notes started with 'Feliz Navidad' (Aubrey and Beca groaned in unison, much to the amusement of the Bellas, because the night before they had attended Hailey and Henry's preschool Christmas concert and that song was prominent) before Jesse cut them off with 'White Christmas' (and no one missed that he was singing directly to one Beca Mitchell).

"Jingle-"

"Bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!" Aubrey started, and Stacie swung her hips forward.

Essentially, they were re-enacting Mean Girls.

(It was like watching a scene from Mean Girls, but Jesse doubted that Beca had ever seen it.)

"Wow", Jesse said under his breath, as Beca's hips swung to their music.

"Dude", Bumper warned.

Bumper wasn't going to let the Trebles lose, and Aubrey wasn't going to allow the Trebles to win.

* * *

"Hey Becs!" Jesse said with a grin, as she buttoned up her overcoat. "Cold outside?"

She almost chuckled (because he and Donald had serenaded the Bellas with 'Baby Its Cold Outside), buttoning the final button. "How does it feel to lose to a bunch of girls?"

"I saw your Mean Girls dance, Becs", he said instead. "How'd they get you to sit through that?"

"Oh, they didn't", she said breezily, glancing up.

(Shit.)

Jesse noticed it too. The sprig of mistletoe they were standing under, taunting them.

"Beca", Chloe called, making them both jump apart guiltily. "Are you coming? We're all going out to celebrate!"

"I'll be there in a second", she called, colour rushing to her cheeks. Chloe nodded with a grin.

"We'll meet you out at the car then, okay?"

"Okay".

(Chloe had borrowed her parent's minivan for the night, telling them that they needed a car to go out for celebratory ice cream.)

"You were great tonight", Beca said sincerely, stepping slightly to the left.

"So were you", Jesse said honestly.

(He wanted to kiss her. but that would probably scare Beca and get him gutted like Aubrey Posen.)

"Good night Jesse", she said instead.

"Night, Becs". He watched her jog out to the front of the school, climbing into Chloe's car.

The night air was cold.

But the tension between Beca and Jesse was steaming hot.

"What was that about?" Stacie nudged Beca, as her tiny friend scrambled into the backseat.

Beca ignored her, stretching her seatbelt across her front. "Let's go Chlo".

Chloe just smiled knowingly in the rear view mirror, and Beca blushed as red as her hair.


	12. Chapter 12

**I leave references in every chapter, who caught these ones? :)**

* * *

"Beca, are you ready to go?" Will called, and Beca bounded down the stairs with the energy of a puppy.

"Bye Beca!" Hailey hugged her sister quickly and Beca grinned.

"Be good, or Santa won't come", she warned them.  
"I'm always good!" Henry protested.

"Come on Becs, time to go!"

"One second!"

And leaving her suitcase on the porch, she ran across to Jesse's, leaving the plain cardboard box on the loveseat.

"Now I'm ready".

Will smiled, as his daughter climbed into the front seat.

"Thanks Dad", she said as an afterthought.

* * *

"Becs!"

"Beca!"

"Hey, little sister!"

Adam twirled her off her feet, making her holler in protest.

"Adam!"

"Hey there Shortie McGee!" Kyle laughed, snatching her up and hugging her so tight she gasped.

"Adam! Kyle! Put me down!"

Kyle dropped her to her feet and Scott laughed, wrapping his arms around her.

"Scott!"

"Boys", Jill laughed. "Hello, Beca sweetheart! Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"I'd say you've grown, but you haven't", Scott chuckled.

"You got my present, Bec?" Courtney questioned, and Beca nodded, kneeling down to hug her little sister.

"Of course I did. Hi Hal".

"Hey Beca, hun", her stepfather laughed.

"It's so good to have you home", Jill beamed.

"Good to have you back, Shortie McGee", Adam chuckled.

Kyle grabbed her seat and Scott grabbed her backpack, Adam draping his arm around his slightly younger (by two days) stepsister, smacking a sloppy kiss to her face.

"Gross", she frowned, scrubbing at her cheek.

"So, Dad thought Taco Bell for dinner", Kyle told her.

"Now you're speaking my language!"

* * *

Hearing the doorbell, Hailey bounced towards the front door. "I'm getting it!"

"Okay!" Sheila called. "Make sure you check who it is first".

"It's Jesse!" Hailey swung open the door, smiling brightly. "Hi Jesse!"

"Hi Hailey! Is Beca around?"

She shook her head. "Beca's not home".

"Oh. Do you know when Beca's gonna be home?"

She shook her head. "Daddy took Beca to the airport because she wants to go back to see her mummy".

"Just for Christmas?" Jesse prompted, stunned, and Hailey shrugged.

"I dunno. Wanna play?"

"Oh… sure". Jesse shrugged, setting the brightly coloured package underneath the Christmas tree.

"Who's that for?" she asked curiously. "I bet for Beca".

"It is for Beca", Jesse agreed easily.

"You and Beca are best friends!" Hailey said brightly, her eyes shining in the same way Beca's did.

"Yeah Hails, we are", he agreed.

(But if they were best friends, why hadn't she mentioned she was going to Portland?)

* * *

That afternoon on the way back to his own house, he saw the plain cardboard box on his loveseat.

"The hell…" his voice trailed off, picking it up. Beca's careful (left handed) writing had written on the top of the box, curling and looking more decorative than he had ever seen it.

Merry Christmas nerd, B.

"Oh Jess, you're home", Caroline said cheerfully, as Jesse flew towards the stairs. "Did Beca like her present?"

"She's in Portland!"

(Caroline wasn't even going to ask.)

Setting the box down on his bed, he tore off the sticky tape. He broke into a grin when he found the contents- a box of microwave popcorn, a large bag of M&MS, a special four disc edition DVD (The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles, all John Hughes high school classics, and a documentary on his life) and a CD simply labelled 'Jesse' in black marker. His eyebrows rose curiously, and he opened his laptop, slotting in the CD.

It was her music. It was full of her mixes.

She didn't let people listen to her music. She had trusted him enough to show him more than thirty seconds of one of her songs. She was amazing.

(She just didn't realise it.)

* * *

"Hey Adam", Beca said curiously, padding down the stairs in tatty yoga pants, a too big hoodie and mismatched socks. "You've got The Breakfast Club on DVD, right?"

Scott's eyebrows nearly flew off his face, and Kyle looked at her with an expression of such surprise that she almost laughed.

"Who are you and what have you done with my little sister?" Adam wanted to know. "Has Barden changed you THAT much?"

She punched his shoulder. "It's a question, Adam".

"Is this a Bella thing?" Kyle questioned.

"I was just wondering if you've got a copy", she sighed heavily. "God, ask a question and you get the Spanish inquisition".

"Of course I do". Adam chuckled and Beca flopped onto the couch, frowning at him. "Hasn't been the same without you to torment, shortie".

"Adam", Jill protested. "Leave your sister alone".

"Don't call her shortie", Hal interjected.

(He'd been saying that since he and Jill had started dating, but none of his boys chose to listen.)

"Can I borrow it?"

"Barden has changed you!" Hal chuckled. "This is the girl who fights watching the Grinch with us, what happened to Beca?"

Beca laughed sarcastically, before going to the DVD cabinet. "I see how it is".

"In my room, Becs".

"Our room", Kyle corrected.

(When Beca and Katherine moved in with Hal and the boys, Kyle's room had become Beca's and they had to share. And when Courtney had been born, Scott too had joined the party, when he was home from college. In a very Stepbrotehrs-esque moment, they had requested bunk beds.)

"Thanks!" and Beca disappeared back towards the stairs.

"That girl's gotten so weird", Scott voiced, and Adam thumped him with a pillow.

"Stop quoting movies!"

* * *

The DVD case sat on her nightstand, propped against her lamp, haunting her. But it just sat there (making her feel bad for up and leaving Georgia without telling Jesse), and she was unwilling to watch it.

"Merry Christmas!" Courtney's cheerful voice rang through the house before daylight, and for a moment Beca was confused as to where she was.

And when she remembered that she was no longer in Barden, she was confused as to why there was a little voice at all

(Courtney wasn't a morning person. That was Hailey).

"Beca!" Adam appeared in the doorway, and she stretched sleepily, knowing full well that they were not beyond hauling her downstairs.

"I'm coming", she told them, kicking aside her blankets.

"Beca!" and Kyle and Adam lunged for her. She let out a shriek, scrambling away from them.

"Mum!" she hollered, as Kyle grabbed her legs.

"Boys!" Jill laughed.

Adam and Kyle carried Beca towards the stairs, balancing her between them, and Scott carried, carrying Courtney.

As much as she loved being in Portland for Christmas (merciless teasing from her stepbrothers aside), she couldn't help but note that she missed the squeals of delight from the twins (they were overly excitable and hollered about clothes).

(Perhaps Barden was becoming more like home? she wasn't sure.)

* * *

"Merry Christmas!" Mikaela laughed, as Sheila opened the door for them. "Merry Christmas Mrs- I mean, Sheila!"

"Merry Christmas sweetheart", Sheila said with a smile, stepping aside to let the Swanson family inside.

"No Beca?" Barry noted, glancing around the living room. Aubrey was curled up on the couch with a book, and the twins were deep in wrapping paper and gifts.

"No, she's gone to Portland to spend Christmas with her mother", Will explained. "she'll be home on Thursday, though. The kids are very excited to give her their gifts; they think that Christmas has been extended just for her".

"Here, Jesse, this is for you!" Henry hopped up, handing Jesse a gift from underneath the Christmas tree.

"Thanks buddy! Barry's got your gifts".

Barry smiled. "Here you go Henry, buddy. Hailey, sweetheart-"

"Thanks!"

And Aubrey looked surprised when Caroline presented her with an envelope.

"Thanks!"

* * *

**Merry Christmas weirdo.**

Despite unwrapping great gifts from her family in Portland, she smiled the widest at Jesse's text message.

**Merry Christmas nerd**

* * *

"You're home!" Chloe said brightly, as Beca shuffled out of her room on Friday morning. "How was Portland, Becs?"

"Good", Beca yawned, nodding (it had been a late flight and early into the morning when she arrived at the house).

"Did you get your presents?" Chloe pushed on. Beca had just shaken her head when Hailey appeared.

"Beca!" she squealed.

"Hey kiddo!"

"Come and open your presents! Daddy said you can! Daddy said that Santa delivered your present to Portland, did he? And Jesse left you a present and its wrapped so pretty Beca!"

(Beca didn't miss the grin growing on Chloe's face.)

She exclaimed appropriately at all her gifts that the two had chosen for her, called thank you to her father and Sheila (for their attempt to replace the headphones and the huge stack of blank CDs), made a mental note to thank Caroline and Barry for their gift, thanked Aubrey for the iTunes credit, before opening Jesse's intricately wrapped box (including a big red and green bow).

A set of headphones, identical to the ones Henry had broken lay inside, along with half a dozen USB drives (because although she used CDs, Jesse knew that she backed all her music up on USB drives).

'Merry Christmas weirdo' was scrawled inside the card, in Jesse's infamously bad, smudged left handed scrawl (their hands matched, in terms of ink smudges).

But at the bottom of the box was a tiny little jewellery box she almost missed. Snapping open the lid, she found a plain silver chain bearing a silver charm in the shape of a pair of headphones.

"Wow, that's pretty!" Hailey breathed, and Chloe held out her hand to assist in clasping it around Beca's neck.

"Thanks, Chlo".

(Knowing Jesse, there was some kind of symbol that she was missing, but in that moment she'd just enjoy the necklace.)

* * *

"Becs!" Chloe called suddenly. "Hey Bec! Get dressed, we're going out!"

"Hold up, what?"

Chloe Beale had left the Mitchell house a total of once since Beca's return, and Beca didn't mind. It got Aubrey off her back, and she was more than happy to curl up in her room and mix music.

So on New Year's Eve, when the redhead came bellowing towards her room, Aubrey on her tail, she was somewhat confused.

"What?"

"We're going to a party", Aubrey told her. "I've already called the other girls".

"Wait, what? An aca pella party? Are you serious?"

"Dixie Chick serious". Aubrey nodded. "Go and get dressed".

(So spending New Year's Eve in her penguin pyjamas was a no go, apparently.)

"We're leaving in twenty minutes!"

* * *

"Bec-caw!"

She fought the grin off her face, as Jesse loped towards her.

"I'm disappointed in you", he informed her.

"What?" Beca blinked at him in confusion.

"What?" Aubrey wanted to know. "Beca?"

"Aubrey", Chloe chasitised.

"As your best friend", Jesse began (leaving Beca praying that he wouldn't add 'and or lover', because Aubrey would gut the pair of them. she'd gut them like fish), "I should have been informed that you were evacuating town for the holidays. Imagine how I felt!" he paused, noticing the way that Aubrey was looking at him. "Hi Aubrey, always nice to see you".

"Hi Jesse", Chloe said warmly, before hauling her friend towards the table.

"Aubrey, let it go", Chloe said warningly. "She's made friends; Sheila and Will were so worried about her. She's made friends and look, we didn't even have to force her to come tonight. Okay, we didn't have to force her that much".

(Chloe had obviously been spending too much time with Fat Amy, because the redhead's pep talks were beginning to sound a lot like the Australian's. and to Aubrey, it was slightly frightening.)

"Stop stressing", she added as an afterthought.

(Chloe didn't want a repeat of last years' finals on New Year's Eve.)

"You're wearing your necklace!" Jesse said suddenly.

"I am- thank you, Jesse". She grinned almost shyly at him. "Thank you, your present was great".

Perhaps telling her that he listened to his CD every day- hell, it lulled him to sleep- would freak her out.

"Do you want a drink?" he said instead, grinning, and she nodded.

"Thanks".

He trotted off cheerfully to get drinks, and Stacie sidled up beside her.

"So, if you're going to kiss him passionately, could you do it tonight?" she said brightly. "I've got money riding on you two".

"Stacie!"

"Hey there Shortie McGee!" Fat Amy joined them, cradling a cup in her hands. "What are you flatbutts talking about?"

"Our bet", Stacie said confidently. "So, I said by the end of the year, I believe midnight still counts".

"You're insane", Beca almost gasped. "You're all insane".

Accepting her drink from Jesse, she stalked off to find Lily (who, if she said anything about any bet, she wouldn't be able to hear her. she liked that about Lily).

"Did you hear?" Stacie said brightly to the confused Treblemaker. "We're doing karaoke!"

(Stacie secretly hoped that someone would initiate a duet. Because she would totally shove her tiny friend forward.)

* * *

"Whose idea was this?" Beca demanded, as Fat Amy belted out Carrie Underwood's 'Last Name'. "I agreed to coming to this thing, Aubrey, I never said anything about karaoke!"

"Please, if I said there would be karaoke I'd never get you in the car". Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Try it, you might even have fun".

"Beca! Duet!" Jesse bellowed.

(If Beca didn't know him as well as she did, she would have thought that he was drunk. Because no one was that cheerful all the time.)

"That's not going to happen", she said quickly, and Aubrey nodded in approval.

(None of her Bellas were getting Trebleboned.)

"That is the worst idea you've ever had", Beca informed him, seeing the familiar glint in his eyes.

(That was the glint that had put The Breakfast Club on that night.)

She planted her feet in the ground firmly, refusing to move.

"Is that an encore I hear?" Fat Amy bellowed, and Bumper cupped his hands.

"Boo!" he called, nudging Donald to join him.

But much to Aubrey's dismay, the older Treble was too busy talking to Lily. The blonde marched off to rescue (her own words) the Asian, and Chloe rolled her eyes (making Beca almost chuckle).

"She's insane, isn't she?" Beca said helpfully.

"Beca", Chloe reprimanded, giving the brunette a small smile.

"Bec-"

"No duet".

* * *

How in the name of God's green earth did Jesse get her standing there with a microphone? He had tricked her in some way and the moment she worked out how, she was going to murder him. While he slept.

* * *

"Ten!"

The television had been turned on, and the countdown in Times Square had been the channel decided upon.

"Nine!"

Jesse handed Beca another rink and Stacie draped an arm around a very flushed Benji.

"Eight!"

Fat Amy violently pushed Bumper Allan into the wall, making Hat and Unicycle laugh (Donald tittered but quietened when Bumper glared).

"Seven!"

Aubrey put an arm around Michael and Chloe stalked off to find Tom (Aubrey had called them to say she needed backup against the Trebles).

"Six!"

Tom whirled Chloe around, making the redhead squeal.

"Five!"

Cynthia Rose and lily hurriedly passed around party poppers and noisemakers.

"Four!"

The noisemakers and party poppers were positioned, waiting for the final three seconds of the year

"Three!"

Beca froze in her spot beside Jesse, unsure what was going to happen. Traditions aside, Aubrey wouldn't hesitate in killing either of them if she kissed Jesse.

(If Jesse kissed her. not if she kissed Jesse. She wouldn't kiss Jesse.)

"Two!"

Jesse looked nervously at Beca, who had set her cup down and was picking at the black polish on her nails (a habit, he'd noticed, she only did it when she was nervous). He wasn't used to that Beca; his Beca was sarcastic and witty and didn't get nervous.

(She was not his Beca. No, she wasn't his Beca.)

"One!"

The room almost exploded with the noise, as they whooped and cheered and carried on. Party poppers exploded and noisemakers whistled, as Chloe kissed Tom (choosing to ignore Stacie's catcalls) and Aubrey kissed Michael.

(Neither Beca or Jesse moved.)

"Happy New Year, nerd", she said finally, and Jesse grinned sheepishly.

"Happy New Year weirdo".

(That worked too.)


End file.
